As we passed the spectacular Viburnum plicatum 'mariesii', I would have turned to face the upper part of the hillside, and this is what we would have seen...
and as we continued to the right and toward and beneath the birch trees, we would have made another stop before ascending the hill to another section of the garden.
We enjoy doing the before and after photos of our garden, 15 years ago and what things look like today, so now I can show you the before, the process through which we had to go in order to get here, the removal of the underbrush, poison oak, and wild blackberries. (lower left of the photo shows a pile not yet hauled away. My apology for the photo quality for it was BD, before digital and I pieced together two photos, but it still works and gives you the idea.)
Is it not amazing what a little hard work and time and patience will do? The reward... at times renders me speechless.
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
